Immigration from another side of the border wall

In 2009, the U.S. census bureau reported that the U.S. has the 2nd largest Hispanic population in the world. (Can you guess who we followed? Yep. That would be Mexico.) Based on this information, I'll venture a wild guess that almost everyone who has lived in the U.S. for the past 23 years has interacted with Latin Americans in one context or another. I, of course, am no exception. Every day, Spanish could be heard ringing out though Harrisonburg High School's hallways. I served as a Spanish translator at Harrisonburg's Patchwork Pantry and Goshen's Center for Healing and Hope. Before coming to Mexico, I followed stories about detained immigrants and even had the chance to write a blog post about Pedro Guzman's celebrated release after 20 months in a Georgia detention center during my time as an intern at Witness for Peace this summer (you'll have to scroll down to the May 19 post to read my writing).

The "immigration issue" is everywhere and certaintly provokes strong emotions. There are many who would love nothing more to see all Latin American immigrants deported (I think of Goshen city council member Dixie Robinson, who I interviewed for a project in my Violence and Non-violence class during my last year at Goshen College). There are others who actively fight to help immigrants achieve the rights they deserve, and there are many who fall somewhere in between.  Needless to say, the issue is polarizing and complex. During my last few months here, I've seen (thank you Facebook) several interesting social commentaries that remind us of these complexities. A friend here in San Cristòbal shared an episode of South Park (a show I had never watched before) with me. "The Last of the Meheecans" provides a provocative (and crude) commentary about how the many of those with an "anti-immigrant" stance would respond if all Latin American immigrants returned to their country of origin. The above meme has been making its way around cyberland and speaks to the vital role many Latin Americans play in the cycle of U.S. food production and consumption.

And now, as I experience this issue from the other side of the border wall, complexity adds to complexity. From my current vantage point, I`m reminded that Mexico isn't only a country to be escaped, it's also a destination. This country receives many immigrants from other Latin American countires. The majority of Central American immigrants cross the border in Chiapas. The southern border of Mexico (a mere 2.5 hours drive from San Cristòbal) is overflowing with migration checkpoints and it is not uncommon to be riding on a combi near the southern border, only to have migration officials trudge on, ask for identification and yank off Central Americans who don't present proper identification. 

My experiences here have also reminded me that migration doesn't only change the composition of the U.S. Many Mexican's I've met here have family working in "the North." Those without documentation required by the U.S. face an incredibly dangerous journey if they want to return home. Many don`t. Last week my friend Tone told me about his uncle`s absence over Christmas because he`s currently living in L.A. Many Mexican immigrants don't want to leave their home and family, but many see no other opportunity to provide for their family. There are organizations working to address this reality. For example, one objective of INESIN's Strengthening Communities project, is to provide Mexican families with an alternative to migration through family gardens which provide both food for self consumption as well as a possible source of supplemental income. Though making a living through small-scale agriculture in Mexico became significantly more difficult after the introduction of NAFTA in 1994 (due to imported, subsidized grain from the U.S., among other factors), vegetable gardens provide one way for families to meet their basic need for food.

Of all the migration stories I've heard while here, Ivan's sticks with me the most. Christmas Eve found me on a bus to the airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of Chiapas. I was the only passenger as the bus wound its way down from the Chiapas highlands to tierra caliente. I spent the one hour+ bus ride, chatting with the driver, Ivan.  Like me, he was away from home that Christmas Eve. As we talked, he told me of the eight years he spent in Georgia working his way up the chain of command at IHOP.  Those years included two harrowing border crossings, one walking through the desert with the help of a coyote at age 16, the other four years later after a visit home, this time swimming. Ivan remembered his time in the U.S. with fondness. He considered his wage exceptional in comparison to what he would have been making in Mexico with only a high-school education. He made great friends. He even named his first daughter after an IHOP coworker. After the birth of his daughter, a few years back, he made the decision to stay in Mexico.  "She's my world," he told me. Now Ivan works as a bus driver for Mexico's OCC enterprise. He said it was the best work someone without a college degree could hope for and feels grateful for the work, even though his family lives over three hours away and the work doesn't permit him to get home as often as he would like. Ivan dreams of being an English teacher one day and I know he could do it even though I have no doubt that many of his students would end up with his Georgia twang. I hope he has the chance to realize his dream.

Hearing stories like this is one of the most powerful parts of my experience in Mexico. As is learning about immigration from this side of the border wall.